As I was getting dressed before leaving for my business meeting this morning, I was watching Anchorman on TV. Ron Burgundy had just answered the phone and Veronica Corningstone wasn’t speaking at all… prompting Ron to ask, “Baxter? Is that you? Bark twice if you’re in Milwaukee.” I just randomly picked that moment to start paying attention, which was funny because I was scheduled to drive to Milwaukee after my meeting. When I finally rolled into MKE, I made sure to bark twice. 🙂

I’m quite thrilled with my hotel, which is nothing short of amazing. It’s in the old Pabst brewery, and there are copper stills all over the building. Plus, look at my room – it’s gorgeous (and huge). There’s a nice comfy bed, large windows, a nice desk, a sitting table, a couch, a bathroom (obviously), and a full-service kitchen. And the restaurant tied to the hotel, Jackson’s, is an actual “good” eatery (not that I’ve been there yet).

After I got settled in, I had a quick call with the client I’m visiting tomorrow, and then met some friends (and clients) for dinner at a place called Sobelman’s. Sobelman’s, as it turns out, is known for their bloody marys and their burgers. This place actually makes a bloody mary called The Beast, which is a gallon-sized bloody topped with a whole fried chicken. We very strongly considered it, but in the end we just opted for individual bloodies and burgers. The drinks were good, though – they were smoky and spicy. The burger was good too, but not the best I’ve ever had.

But the best part of the MKE leg of the trip so far is finally getting a chance to meet two of my favorite client contacts in person. I’ve been working with them for a year and a half, and even though we’re facebook friends and every time we call each other it’s a giant gigglefest, we’ve never met in person. I was a little nervous – you know how sometimes you meet someone in person and they’re not at all what you’d expected and things just feel… off? Well, that was thankfully not the case with us. We clicked immediately and we had so much fun tonight. They are just as awesome, if not more so, in person than on the phone. If I would ever move to Milwaukee, I’m certain we’d all be BFFs and attached at the hips. I’m just so happy they’re so awesome, and they’re making this trip better than I could have ever hoped for.

Lots of work to be done in the morning, so I should start getting ready to hit the hay. Here’s hoping the more formal meetings tomorrow are just as fun as my encounters were today!